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Dear Secretary of State,

Suggested letter below (please feel free to alter it) I am sure you are aware that the UK is the third largest importer of illegal timber in the world, bringing in £700 million of illegal timber each year according to recent research by the Environmental Investigation Agency. As a consumer who may unwittingly be buying wood that contributes to deforestation, climate change, loss of biodiversity and poverty in developing countries, I urge you to take rapid action on this neglected issue by giving official support to Barry Gardiner’s Private Member’s Bill on illegally logged timber, due for Second Reading on October 17th. Producer countries are losing £7.5 billion a year because of this illegal trade. Global development goals, for so long championed personally by you and the UK Government, are being undermined by illegal logging. Corrupt public officials, the terrorising of poor communities and even the murder of community activist opponents of environmental degradation, are part of the wide-ranging criminality surrounding illegal logging in developing countries. I believe it is up to us in the UK to do all we can to prohibit illegal timber entering our markets. Seventy-three leading European timber companies and retailers as well as civil society organisations have been calling for European legislation on sales of illegal timber, but there has been no apparent strong action from the UK. I would ask that you take a stronger lead in Europe where imports of illegal timber amount to £2 billion each year, but where proposed forestry legislation covering all 27 member states appears suddenly to have stalled. Please give full and official public support to both sets of proposed legislation in order for the UK to be at the forefront of putting an end to this destructive trade. I look forward to hearing from you.

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